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Retirement – Major Jo-Anne Flawn-Laforge

MAJ JO-ANNE FLAWN-LAFORGE WILL BE RETIRING ON 1 AUGUST 17 AFTER 33 YEARS OF LOYAL AND DEDICATED SERVICE TO THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES (CAF).

PRIVATE FLAWN ENROLLED IN THE CAF 31 MAY 1984. HER JOURNEY BEGAN AT CFB CORNWALLIS, WHERE SHE COMPLETED BASIC TRAINING FINISHING AS THE TOP RECRUIT BEFORE HEADING TO KINGSTON FOR ELECTRONICS TRAINING AND QL3 RADIO TECHNICIAN COURSE. HER FIRST POSTING WAS TO BASE TELECOM COLD LAKE, AB FROM 85-89. JO-ANNE REQUESTED AN ARMY POSTING AND WAS FORTUNATE TO BE POSTED TO 4 SERVICE BATTALION, LAHR GERMANY FROM 89-92. AFTER HER MARRIAGE TO MARCEL IN NOV 91 IT WAS BACK TO THE AIR FORCE IN MOOSE JAW, SASK WHERE MARTIN AND JULIE WERE BORN. IN 1995 JO-ANNE TRANSFERRED TO THE AIR RESERVE AND IN AUG 96, DAYS AWAY FROM GIVING BIRTH TO JEAN-PATRICK THEY LANDED IN GREENWOOD, NS. IN 1998 JO-ANNE COMPLETED A BACHELOR OF ARTS DEGREE AFTER ALMOST 10 YEARS OF DISTANCE LEARNING. IN FEB 2000 JO-ANNE COMPLETED THE JUNIOR LEADERSHIP COURSE (JLC) RANKING IN THE TOP 3 AND IN MARCH SHE WAS PROMOTED TO MCPL IN THE MORNING AND OFFICER CADET AT THE END OF THE SAME DAY. CONCURRENTLY AND WITH THE HELP OF THE LOCAL PSO JO-ANNE WAS PURSURING HER CAREER GOAL TO BECOME A PERSONNEL SELECTION OFFICER (PSO). COMPLETING THE PSO BASIC QUALIFICATION COURSE IN APR 2000 FOLLOWED BY BASIC OFFICER TRAINING PART II IN AUG 2000 JO-ANNE WAS COMMISSIONED AND PROMOTED TO THE RANK OF LIEUTENANT. JO-ANNE COMPONENT TRANSFERRED BACK INTO THE REGULAR FORCES IN 2001 AFTER 6 YEARS IN THE AIR RESERVES. POSTED TO KINGSTON BASE PERSONNEL SELECTION OFFICE SHE COMPLETED HER TRAINING AND WAS PROMOTED TO CAPTAIN IN 2003. IN 2004 SHE WAS POSTED TO CANADIAN FORCES RECRUITING GROUP, CFB BORDEN AS THE DEPUTY RECRUITING PSO. IN 2008 JO-ANNE WAS POSTED TO DMCA IN OTTAWA WHERE SHE MANAGED BTL REASSIGNMENTS, OCCUPATION TRANSFERS AND UNIVERSITY TRAINING PROGRAMS. IN 2009 SHE WAS PROMOTED TO HER CURRENT RANK AND POSTED TO THE NEWLY ESTABLISHED JOINT PERSONNEL SUPPORT UNIT (JPSU) WHERE SHE WAS THE CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OFFICER IN CHARGE OF PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT, LESSONS LEARNED, COMMUNICATIONS AND RESEARCH. BY 2012 A NEW POSITION WAS CREATED IN REACTION TO THE EVER EXPANDING TRANSITION ROLE AND JO-ANNE BECAME THE CAF TRANSITION ADVISOR. IN ADDITION TO NATIONALLY MANAGING SCAN, SHE CREATED AND EXPANDED UPON PROGRAMS AND SERVICES TO ASSIST TRANSITIONING MEMBERS INTO THEIR NEXT CAREER AND WORKED TIRELESSLY TO EDUCATE THE CIVILIAN WORKFORCE, BOTH PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SECTOR, ON THE VALUE OF HIRING VETERANS.

AS PART OF HER TRANSITION PLANS, JO-ANNE HAS STARTED A MASTER’S DEGREE AT CARLETON IN PHILANTHROPY AND NON-PROFIT LEADERSHIP WHICH SHE WILL PURSUE ONLINE WHILE LIVING IN THE UK FOR THE NEXT 3 YEARS WITH MARCEL AT RAF WADDINGTON. HER THREE CHILDREN, MARTIN, JULIE AND JEAN-PATRICK WILL REMAIN IN THE OTTAWA AREA.

JO-ANNE’S DEPART WITH DIGNITY CEREMONY WILL OCCUR ON 23 JUNE AT 1300HRS AT THE MANDARIN RESTAURANT, 1377 OGILVIE ROAD, OTTAWA, ON. PLEASE RSVP NLT 21 JUNE 2017 BY EMAIL TO HEATHER.RYAN@FORCES.GC.CA OR BY TELEPHONE 613-901-8024.